AUSTIN | Project Updates Thread Part II - Page 271

The ATX · #**5401** Posted **Sep 2, 2018, 10:35 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by H2O

The City's downtown emerging project list retired with Michael Knox, the long-time Downtown Officer. The DAA is now doing their version of it: http://www.downtownaustin.com/business/emergingprojects

It looks like they are using the other map as a source. They also have a project sited for the lot next to the Austonian. Clicking on it shows the residential version of the 300 Colorado tower. But they also have the correct site for the 300 Colorado office tower.

We vs us · #**5402** Posted **Sep 3, 2018, 1:46 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by StoOgE

3rd and Congress (both sides of 3rd) and the lot next to 405 Colorado on Congress are three of my biggest head-scratchers. Just surface lots on Congress that haven't been gobbled up.

Yep, that’s another ridiculously underused block. Kind of maddening to see sometimes ... you’d think the value would pretty astronomical by now.

JACKinBeantown · #**5403** Posted **Sep 5, 2018, 4:33 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

Yeah, that one has caught my attention also. Reminds me of the Tom Hanks movie "Big". Ever since I saw that movie when I was a kid, I've wanted to live in a place like his apartment. I'm quite sure this would be me, although, I'd probably be riding my bicycle around in there when the weather sucked.

• Video Link

About 20 years ago (or more... jees I'm getting old) I ended up hanging out with the guy whose father invented some important component of retractible landing gear. Long story short, he was rich and owned the ground floor of this place in NYC (or possibly the whole building). It was big enough that we were throwing a Frisbee® inside.
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7294303,...8keoeWX39FawiNtPf8RJg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

lzppjb · #**5404** Posted **Sep 6, 2018, 7:42 PM**

https://twitter.com/tplohetski/status/1037787254306078721

Hills Cafe will close Wednesday for redevelopment.

urbancore · #**5405** Posted **Sep 6, 2018, 8:19 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by lzppjb

https://twitter.com/tplohetski/status/1037787254306078721

Hills Cafe will close Wednesday for redevelopment.

that was bound to happen. That property is enormous.

We vs us · #**5406** Posted **Sep 6, 2018, 8:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by lzppjb

https://twitter.com/tplohetski/status/1037787254306078721

Hills Cafe will close Wednesday for redevelopment.

Just down the road from the new St Elmo Public Market development, too.

KevinFromTexas · #**5407** Posted **Sep 6, 2018, 9:15 PM**

My parents used to rave about the place. We've never lived more than 2 miles from it. We went a while back after having not gone in a long time, and the food wasn't at all what I was expecting. I can't say that I was impressed, unfortunately.

lzppjb · #**5408** Posted **Sep 6, 2018, 10:56 PM**

The food was great when Bob Cole first reopened it. It went downhill quickly after that.

urbancore · #**5409** Posted **Sep 6, 2018, 11:04 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

My parents used to rave about the place. We've never lived more than 2 miles from it. We went a while back after having not gone in a long time, and the food wasn't at all what I was expecting. I can't say that I was impressed, unfortunately.

Last time we visited, it was terrible. Wasn’t Cole also involved with the Tavern?

lzppjb · #**5410** Posted **Sep 6, 2018, 11:12 PM**

Cole helped redo the Tavern, yes. But it hasn't been under his control in a long time. I heard it recently changed hands again. I like the Tavern a lot.

hookem · #**5411** Posted **Sep 6, 2018, 11:13 PM**

I've been to Hills a couple of times recently for the Sunday Open Mic that had just started up there about a month ago... The music was great, but the food and service wasn't. Obviously one of a handful of long-time Austin iconic places, so kind of sad to see that end. Sort of the way I felt about the Nighthawk closing recently -- sad but not really going to miss it.

KevinFromTexas · #**5412** Posted **Sep 7, 2018, 1:54 AM**

Actually, I miss the Dorsett truck stop in Buda. We went a few times before it closed and became some sort of game arcade. I remember they had good food, and the place definitely had that feel that the Hills Cafe did.

lzppjb · #**5413** Posted **Sep 7, 2018, 3:23 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

Actually, I miss the Dorsett truck stop in Buda. We went a few times before it closed and became some sort of game arcade. I remember they had good food, and the place definitely had that feel that the Hills Cafe did.

It's a bar and arcade. I've never been, but my roommate has.

We vs us · #**5414** Posted **Sep 7, 2018, 1:41 PM**

The Statesman on Hill's:

https://www.statesman.com/news/local/hil...-new-development/u4HZmeveZJdNHtViDYrmBN/

No new intel on what exactly will replace it, but it'll be denser.

Quote:

Ellis Winstanley, a part-owner who is involved in several other iconic restaurants, said property taxes have tripled in a five-year period on the property, and “there is no end in sight to that.” Operators say that in order to pay those taxes, they must have more income from the property.

StoOgE · #**5415** Posted **Sep 7, 2018, 3:15 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

Actually, I miss the Dorsett truck stop in Buda. We went a few times before it closed and became some sort of game arcade. I remember they had good food, and the place definitely had that feel that the Hills Cafe did.

Dorsett's had *amazing* food. Hill's was basically garbage my entire lifetime, but my parents swear it was good once when they were kids.

Dorsett's closed because of a fire and family feuding resulting from it's being repaired. Dorsett's was also seedy as hell. The motel next door frequently had uhh "professionals" in the parking lot.

The chicken fried steak however, was aces.

The ATX · #**5416** Posted **Sep 7, 2018, 3:43 PM**

An actual "sausage bar" is opening up downtown. It's not in the Warehouse District.

https://communityimpact.com/local-news/a...-and-mortar-location-in-downtown-austin/

Geckos_Rule · #**5417** Posted **Sep 7, 2018, 4:40 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by The ATX

An actual "sausage bar" is opening up downtown. It's not in the Warehouse District.

https://communityimpact.com/local-news/a...-and-mortar-location-in-downtown-austin/

I had this at their trailer. It's pretty tasty, but hopefully the menu is expanded.

AusTxDevelopment · #**5418** Posted **Sep 7, 2018, 6:52 PM**

Finally. I hate those blue signs. This is only temporary but at least its something. They have a rendering of the art at the link.

https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/...messing-with-texas-disrupting-lamar.html

Quote:

DATA ARTIST TO DISRUPT LAMAR BLVD.

It's perhaps the most maligned public artwork in Austin, according to Sightlines magazine, but it's getting a temporary makeover.

“Moments,” the blue reflective street signs at the Lamar Boulevard underpass near Fifth Street that tends to elicit little more than a muted "meh" from passersby, will be revamped by Austin artist Laurie Frick. Carl Trominski said he's cool with his 2003 work of art being covered up for a bit. The swap is being facilitated by a new City Hall program called TEMPO Refresh.

This will be a big deal for Frick, who spent many years as a tech executive with companies such as Vignette Corp. before carving a niche as an artist who creates room-size art based off personal data such as Facebook posts and emails.

"The new installation will use data to tell a story of visitors with drippy line charts of visitor numbers and upholstered signs summarizing colors of the murals they Instagram from Austin," she said.

clubtokyo · #**5419** Posted **Sep 7, 2018, 11:36 PM**

Ugh why temporary. I will never understand how those blue things are art.

Armybrat · #**5420** Posted **Sep 8, 2018, 12:00 AM**

Hill’s was the second restaurant I ate in after my dad retired to Austin from the US Army in 1959. El Matt’s at 5th & East Avenue was the first.
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